Bobby Vee (born Robert Thomas Velline, April 30, 1943)

Vee's career began amid tragedy. On "The Day the Music Died" (3 February 1959), the three headline acts in the line-up of the traveling 'Winter Dance Party', Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, and The Big Bopper were killed in the crash of a 1947 Beechcraft Bonanza v-tailed aircraft(- registration #N3974N) near Clear Lake, Iowa while en route to the next show on the tour itinerary in Moorhead, Minnesota. Velline, then aged 15, and a hastily-assembled band of Fargo, North Dakota schoolboys calling themselves The Shadows volunteered for and were given the unenviable job of filling in for Holly and his band at the Moorhead engagement. Their performance there was a success, setting in motion a chain of events that led to Vee's career as a popular singer.

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I'm reaching way back here.  Growing up, I shared a bedroom with my second oldest brother (not Rod's Big Bro - he's the oldest) and of course, used to listen to his records.  One on the records that I seemed to listen to - or remember the most - was Bobby Vee's The Hits of the Rocking 50's.  Maybe I was just trying to emulate my brother, but Bobby Vee's music grew on me.  So, I'd just like to share some of the music that I listened to growing up.

Take a listen to these songs.  Do you recognize any of them?

Do these songs bring back any memories?  No?  Well, I hope you enjoyed just listening to them.  They don't bring back a lot of different memories to me, but rather takes me back in time - back to listening to my brother's records in our bedroom.